Hightower Acquires $5 Billion RIA, Grows Employee Advisor Division
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 04 2026
0mins
Should l Buy WFC?
Source: Barron's
Acquisition Announcement: Hightower Advisors has agreed to acquire Journey Strategic Wealth, which manages approximately $5 billion in assets.
New Initiative: This acquisition is part of Hightower's new initiative, Hightower Signature Wealth, allowing advisors to work under Hightower's brand as employees.
Leadership: The initiative is led by CEO Larry Restieri, marking Hightower's first external acquisition in this area.
Business Model Shift: The move signifies a shift in Hightower's business model, transitioning from independent practices to a more integrated employee structure.
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Analyst Views on WFC
Wall Street analysts forecast WFC stock price to rise
17 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 77.190
Low
74.00
Averages
98.66
High
113.00
Current: 77.190
Low
74.00
Averages
98.66
High
113.00
About WFC
Wells Fargo & Company is a financial services company. The Company provides a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, to individuals, businesses and institutions. The Company operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. The Company provides consumer financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and auto, residential mortgage, and small business lending. In addition, the Company offers financial planning, private banking, investment management, and fiduciary services. It also provides financial solutions to businesses through products and services including traditional commercial loans and lines of credit, letters of credit, asset-based lending and leasing, trade financing, treasury management, and investment banking services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Financial Pressure on Gen Z: The study shows that 64% of parents with Gen Z children feel their kids rely on them financially, with 56% of these parents reporting that this support strains their own finances, leading many young adults to postpone significant life milestones like moving or marriage.
- Adoption of AI Technology: 40% of U.S. consumers have experimented with AI for financial management, with 19% using it for advice in the past year, and this figure doubles to 38% among Gen Z, highlighting a growing openness to technology in financial decision-making.
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See More
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- Rule Repeal Impact: The U.S. court has struck down the fiduciary rule aimed at enhancing retirement investor protections for the second time, which may lead to retirement investors receiving investment advice that does not serve their best interests, thereby increasing market confusion and uncertainty.
- Historical Repetition: This event mirrors the previous repeal of a similar rule during the Obama administration, highlighting the financial industry's resistance to regulatory measures through legal challenges, potentially exposing investors to lower protection standards.
- Investment Decision Risks: Recent data shows that approximately 6 million individuals rolled nearly $700 billion into IRAs in 2022, and the absence of fiduciary rules may diminish the quality of advice surrounding these significant financial decisions, increasing risks for investors.
- Industry Reaction: The insurance industry welcomed this ruling as a victory for consumers, arguing that the Biden-era rule exceeded the Department's authority, indicating that future investors must be more cautious in selecting advisors to ensure they receive transparent and interest-aligned advice.
See More
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Service Outage: Thousands of American users experienced issues with Wells Fargo's online accounts on Monday morning, with over 1,450 reports of problems logged around 10:54 AM EST.
Types of Issues: Approximately 81% of the reported issues were related to account login difficulties, while 16% pertained to account balance or transaction problems, and 2% involved trading and brokerage issues.
Current Status: As of the time of writing, Wells Fargo had not issued an official response regarding the outage.
Further Updates: Users can stay informed about the developing situation by following updates directly on Stocktwits.
See More
Latest Wall Street Rating Updates
- UBS Upgrade: UBS upgrades Adecoagro from Neutral to Buy, raising the price target from $8 to $16.2, indicating the company is poised to benefit from the ongoing Middle East conflict, which is expected to enhance its financial performance.
- HSBC Bullish on Carnival: HSBC upgrades Carnival from Hold to Buy, asserting that the current share price undervalues the resilience of experience-led demand, which is likely to improve the company's market performance in the near future.
- Morgan Stanley Reiterates Meta: Morgan Stanley lowers its price target for Meta from $825 to $775 but maintains it as a top investment idea, suggesting that market sentiment has bottomed out, making it an opportune time to buy.
- Deutsche Bank Upgrades Colgate: Deutsche Bank upgrades Colgate-Palmolive from Hold to Buy, highlighting the company's core business as having long-term investment value and the ability to weather current market volatility effectively.
See More
Gartner Shares Decline Following Analyst Downgrade
- Analyst Downgrade: Wells Fargo's analyst Jason Haas lowered Gartner's price target from $150 to $140 while maintaining an underweight rating, prompting investors to reconsider their holdings, resulting in a nearly 1% drop in share price on Friday.
- Macroeconomic Impact: Haas indicated that macroeconomic volatility stemming from the Iran war may lead corporate clients to cut back on what they consider non-essential spending, such as Gartner's research services, negatively impacting the company's performance.
- Declining Contract Value Growth: Gartner experienced a significant decline in contract value growth, dropping from over 7% in Q3 2024 to just 3% in the same period of 2025, indicating weak market demand that could affect future revenues.
- AI Competitive Pressure: As corporate decision-makers increasingly trust artificial intelligence as an advisory tool, Gartner faces the challenge of convincing clients that its human expertise is superior to machine analysis, which could impact its market share and profitability.
See More
Market Volatility Amid Oil Price Concerns
- Market Bounce and Caution: Following President Trump's announcement of 'productive' talks between the U.S. and Russia, stocks surged on Monday; however, analysts warn that the market still faces new downward pressures, suggesting the rebound may merely be a 'dead cat bounce.'
- Impact of Economic Data: Analysts predict that any further declines in the stock market will primarily stem from economic data, particularly the 'stagflation' phenomenon of high inflation and low growth, which could lead to slow, gradual declines rather than violent swings.
- Oil Prices and Economic Resilience: Despite U.S. crude prices rising back to around $100 per barrel, Wells Fargo argues that the U.S. economy is better positioned to withstand oil shocks today, being a net exporter of fossil fuels and having historically low household energy expenditure percentages.
- Future Data Focus: Investors will closely monitor upcoming economic data, especially the March retail sales report, to gauge consumer behavior amid current economic turmoil, with market sentiment likely influenced by the duration of the ongoing conflict.
See More
